USAID funding supported the first ever Women Fishers’ Forum for 30 women from across the Marshall Islands earlier this month.
This forum, known as Our Fish Our Future, conducted at the Marshall Islands Resort, provided a unique platform to recognize the efforts of fisherwomen, empower them, and foster gender equality within the fishing community.
Led by the Marshall Islands Conservation Society (MICS), the Forum aimed to harness the untapped potential of women in the fishing industry by aiding women to develop business plans, as well as grant and loan applications, for income-generating opportunities in coastal fisheries. The University of Rhode Island is the implementing partner for Our Fish Our Future.
Our Fish Our Future seeks to address the drivers of illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing, which degrades coastal fisheries, decreases biodiversity, and negatively impacts local livelihoods, food stability, and maritime security throughout the Pacific. During the forum, women representing 10 atolls collaborated to develop business plans and grant applications for coastal fisheries income-generating enterprises.
Historically, the fishing sector has been male-dominated, with the contributions and challenges faced by fisherwomen often overlooked. Through capacity-building initiatives and financial management support, the forum equipped fisherwomen with the necessary skills and resources to drive positive impact in their communities.
“Protecting our ocean and its abundance of resources is everyone’s responsibility. The Marshallese culture emphasizes the importance of women’s role in society, which adds value. The same concept is applied as a motherly role to teach their children how to learn and adapt to changes in our islands,” said the USAID’s Country Coordinator James Ley. “Nowadays, if you look across the lagoon, there are large vessels and businesses to compete against; women and men must join to adapt and compete. In many ways, women have specific skills to enhance the fishing community, and it is important to listen to their insights. There is no question that the women joining this forum are the voices and pioneers for all the women across the islands.”